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Samsung D900 review

It may not be as pancake-thin its Ultra cousins but the D900 still packs a 3MP camera into a highly desirable form factor

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06 November 2007/6:00GMT

When the Samsung D900 first launched it was the thinnest slider we’d ever seen, and stunned us by also including a 3MP camera. Thanks to Samsung’s new Ultra edition handsets and their record-breaking waists, it’s now started to feel about as in-demand as the world’s fourth-tallest man.

But you should dismiss at it at your peril. It’s still only 13mm thick – ideal for those who think the Ultras are just too thin – and remains one of the easiest handsets to use, take photos with and generally have in your pocket.

The perfect form

Form factor remains the D900’s strength. Whereas other phones have gone for flashy, touch-sensitive lights buttons – LG Chocolate phone, we’re looking at you – the D900 gets the basics right with decently sized buttons and a slide mechanism that is perfectly sprung to move smoothly in each direction.

On its predecessor, the D800, Samsung made the keys so flat that there was no travel, which made them annoying to use. The D900, meanwhile, is flatter but somehow manages to have keys that move enough for you to know you’ve pressed them.

Keypad quirks

It’s not all good news: the raised ridge at the base of the keypad and the overhang of the front cover mean dialling can be tricky for the top or bottom keys. You do, though, soon get used to this initially annoying quirk.

Your mood will be further improved by the 3.2MP camera, which takes great shots and has autofocus. It may not have the sophistication of Sony’s Cybershots, which pack a Xenon flash, but it benefits from intuitive menus and the LED camera is bright enough for use in fashionably ill-lit restaurants.

Music maestro

Music playback is decent, not least because the software is similar to what Samsung uses on its dedicated MP3 players, and stereo Bluetooth means you can play tracks through wireless Bluetooth headphones.

If you use wired headphones you’re limited to the ones supplied as the phone has a dedicated connector, not a standard audio jack. There is, though, a microSD card slot for extra storage, and transferring music is easy via USB 2.0.

It may be a little more ‘mature’ than Samsung’s Ultra edition range, but the D900 can still hold its own as a simple-to-use slider as long as you can accept that it’s no longer in the record books.